Genesis 11:7 “”Come let us go down and confuse their language so that they will not understand each other.””

In light of today’s reading, it almost seems that God may have taken things too far. We now have people groups of 2,500, and even less, that are isolated from the gospel because of their language. But the alternative was far worse! By that time, our sin nature was ripe, and God could not allow sinful mankind to remain unified in their pride. So what do we do today? How can we reach small groups of people like the Dahaliks that speak their own language?

Pray for the Lord to thrust forth skilled workers to small groups that need to hear the gospel in their own tongue.

Today’s People Group

It was Gomishu’s first trip to Asmara, and being a gregarious five-year-old boy, he tried to strike up a conversation with people as they walked by. But the people he saw either looked puzzled or gave him an embarrassed smile, and they were saying things he couldn’t understand.

Finally he asked his mother what was happening. She told him, “These people speak Tigrean and other languages, but we have a different language. They don’t understand us, and we don’t understand them.” “Why don’t they learn our language?” He asked. She replied, “Not many people speak our language. We will have to learn their language instead.” With that, she took her son by the hand and walked away as he continued to greet people in Dahalik.

According to the Ethnologue, there are only 2,500 people who speak the language of the Dahalik people. It wasn’t until 1996 that linguists were even aware that they speak a different language. The Dahalik people are related to the Afar people that we prayed for yesterday, but they live on a couple of islands off the coast of Eritrea. For that reason, they are isolated.

Now that we know that they have their own language, what do we do? Is it wise to produce a Bible for them, or should believers produce other kinds of gospel materials?

Pray for wisdom for anyone who wants to reach out to the Dahalik people with the gospel. Pray for audio gospel materials in their language.